Buy it from where?

West Elm

I bought the desk over Christmas - and it looks great (obviously not that old yet...). The one thing to remember is that cleaners can scratch the finish, so it's recommended to wipe with a damp towel.

I've had this desk since August and it has held up really well so far. I was a little anxious about it getting stained at first, but I've gotten ink on it and it has always come off with a bit of cleaning.

I'm very happy with mine.

I've had mine for almost two years. It's green, but haven't had any issues with it. It's a great piece! That's why it's one of our Top 5 Cheap Furniture Basics!

I have 2 words for you, magic eraser.

It's great on everything white (It does take off colored paint from walls). I don't have a parsons desk, but I do have some laminate/laquer things that are white and this takes off scuffs and dirt beautifully.

Check overstock.com -- they've had the exact same desk for half the price.

According to a friend of mine who has long been in the kitchen business. ALL whites yellow over time. Generally fastest in sunlight rooms. It is likely to be so gradual that you hardly notice it happening.

katstrode - i second this recommendation!

we bought the overstock version a few months ago and it's a dead ringer for the parson's. it's held up really well so far, no problems at all.

don't be fooled by the poor photo quality on overstock, the desk is white, not off-white:

overstock student desk

we have had ours (in white) for the last year and love it! It does get fingerprinty--but they wipe off easy enough!

I have this desk and love it. I have spilt coffee and other things on it and, even after it dries, it wipes right up with a damp cloth. A great buy.

I also have the Overstock version. When we had people in the house installing hardwood floors, something mysterious and brown became forever ingrained on the surface. Otherwise, it has held it's whiteness and I really love it. And for $150, you can replace it in a few years if it gets yucky! I use mine in the bedroom as a vanity (with a tabletop mirror) and a desk. It's a good size to spread out paperwork. Very practical and cheery! I highly reccomend.

how is the overstock version a dead ringer? i have one still in the box because it doesn't seem to be as glossy as the west elm version. is this my imagination? is the west elm version really not all that glossy? someone let me know.

i love this desk, i've had for 1.5 years and looks new.

Great to hear this desk has held up! I recently bought the dining table version and have been scared I was going to stain or scratch it.

I've had the desk since it first came out, so at least 18 months, and I really like it. I use it daily in my home office and find it very sturdy and it's still bright white just as the day I purchased it. It also goes really well with my white iMac, as crazy as it sounds I really wanted a shiny white desk to coordinate with my mac. Other mac geeks out there may be thinking, "Yeah, and..." because I bet you get me totally.

I don't think it scratches easily, but I'm not doing much on the actually surface outside of jotting down a few notes, tapping away on the keyboard, or clicking on the mouse. In other words, I'm not cutting fabric or chopping veggies. :)

Holly

My light blue desk is great. Easy to clean. Hasn't discolored or stained yet. I've only had it since the Fall.

I would put it together on soft carpet and away from walls and other furniture. I chipped one corner of the desk and one corner of a drawer on a wall.

True about the Overstock version not being glossy. I just assembled mine last night. It's a great desk for the price, but I'd have to say that it's ALMOST a dead ringer for the WE desk. I'm very pleased with it because it looks fantastic and is much more sturdy and solid than I imagined for 150, but I knew that it didn't have a high gloss finish when I ordered it.

i once had a super glossy white desk for my ibook. and i had a white lamp..im a mac geek.

*shrug*

i got the WE desk for my mom and she is not one to care much bout modern pieces. but so far its holding up pretty well

Three months ago I purchased two of the white parsons desks to create one long works space. I really like them. I wipe them down once a week with a Method Cleaner.

I bought the one from overstock too. The description on the overstock website is high gloss, BUT in reality, its a reproduction of the west elm desk and is painted (a matted paint) wood. The desk (dimensions, shape, look etc.) is identical to the west elm desk, but definitely not as classy or glossed/laquered as the one in west elm store.

Has anyone come up with a way to lacquer the Overstock desk, to make it high-gloss? Just a thought...=)

If anyone has come up with a way to make the overstock version high gloss (and actually look good too) I'd love to know how...

I just bought a used white West Elm Parsons Desk - there is a small chip on the corner of it (that's why it was cheap, I guess). Anyone know of a good way to cover it up or fix it?

DO NOT BUY THIS DESK!!

This is a very low quality desk that is very heavy, it will chip RIGHT away and there is almost no way to fix it.
This is an expensive desk that reeads as quality but, day to day use reveals cheap materials and some kind of chalky substance was used to build it.
My other $300 furniture does not chip like this.
My desk looks awful and I regret buying it.
Heed my warning!

I went to the WE store yesterday with the intent on buying two of these desks. The store sample was chipped everywhere. Even places that wouldn't normally get hit. WE sales person told us that they do chip easily, with slamming since it is made out of veneer. Now debating wether to buy the overstock version.